Of Angels & Valentines
by Zivacentric
Summary: Established Zibbs. Continuation of my "Angels in Disguise" universe & will make the most sense if you've read that first. Ziva & Gibbs have been dating for 6 1/2 weeks and their first V Day is approaching. Can their friends trust them to plan their own celebration? Rating goes up to M with Ch 4. Spoilers for Somalia, "Shabbat Shalom" (10x11) & "Shiva" (10x12) in A/N of Ch. 5.
1. Where Angels Dare To Tread

_A/N:__ Okay, so it happened again: my muse was hijacked, this time by a couple of Valentine pieces, one of which (this one) turned out to be nearly, ahem, 14,000 words. I know, I know - wild, right?! *sigh* I was really hoping this one would speak to me in some way, though, so I really can't be too frustrated with that demanding, particular, prolific muse of mine. It is a continuation of my "Angels in Disguise" universe that I really quite adore for many reasons. There will be five chapters and the rating will go up to M in chapter 4. =) The entire story is already written except for some obsessive editing that is still going on, so hopefully the updates will be posted fairly quickly._

_DO NOT PANIC ABOUT "WAVES OF GRACE." :) More is coming._

_My apologies for being quiet on the reading, reviewing and chatting front lately; RL needs my attention, as well. I hope to do some catching up in cyber space soon. _

_I get very, um, attached *rolls eyes at self over the euphemistic term* to certain ideas and plans, and symmetry in various forms appeals to me. Therefore, I wanted to post the Valentines story(ies) ON Valentine's Day, of course. Alas, RL + the muse weren't cooperating with that and the more I tried to push it, the slower the writing went. Many of you out there are very dear to me and a few have a particular gift for saying what I need to hear when I need to cut myself a break. I am blessed to have you in my life. This time around it was molly2012, abstractartist and Woody2792, along with some remembered words from kesterpan and iyimgrace, that allowed me to let up on the self-imposed pressure. It is much appreciated, my friends, so this one is for you. =) _

* * *

"Got it covered, Tobias."

Gibbs could almost hear his friend's suspicious disbelief in the ensuing momentary silence on the other end of the phone.

"Are you sure? Thought maybe you missed the memo that a couple's first Valentine's Day should be memorable, given the three ex-wives and all." Fornell placed just enough emphasis on the _ex_ to make his point.

"Got it covered," Jethro just repeated, not interested in a conversation along those lines.

"I could –"

"Goodbye, Tobias." Gibbs cut him off and hung up his phone.

He shook his head. Apparently his Guardian Angel was trying on his cupid diaper after all.

_Meanwhile, up in his kitchen …_

Ziva checked the stir-fry once more and decided it was time to start the rice that would go along with it. She made a mental note to bring her rice cooker over here, as she preferred using that over the minute-style rice she'd picked up at the market on her way to Jethro's from work tonight.

She brought herself up short. _Slow down, Ziva_. Just because she'd cooked here even more often than she'd cooked for them at her place ever since her world had taken an unexpected turn for the marvelous on New Year's Eve didn't mean her lover would welcome the contents of her kitchen making its way over into his.

Well, any more than it already had. The man had remarkably few pots, pans and utensils. He'd explained that when the three exes had moved out, they'd each taken most of that stuff with them and a man who didn't cook much didn't need much.

As she reached for the box of rice, her phone rang. She smirked when she saw the display. Perhaps Agent Borin had received her package.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Ziva."

"Hey yourself. How are you?"

"Fine. Just sitting here looking at a brown box with a DC postmark on it and wondering if I should call the bomb squad before I open it."

"Oh? Why?" Ziva kept the grin on her face out of her voice. "Have you done something sneaky and underhanded that might make someone want to hurt you?" She paused for effect. "Oh, wait – yes, you have. Perhaps you _should_ call in the bomb squad."

Borin snorted.

"Sneaky and underhanded it might have been, but it was the best thing that ever happened to you. Admit it." Abby's voice couldn't have been more certain.

If Borin had been standing in the kitchen with her, she'd have seen Ziva's face melt into a goofy, besotted expression as she considered the man she was completely in love with – even if he didn't know that yet.

"You are certainly right about that," she admitted quietly, happily.

"So … is it safe to open the box?"

Ziva chuckled. "It is safe."

She heard sounds on the other end of the phone that told her Abby was ripping into the box. The pleased exclamation as she pulled out a large bottle of very fine, very smooth top-shelf bourbon said she was extremely happy with what she found inside.

"Awww, you shouldn't have." She was secretly glad they had, however. It was damn good bourbon, one she didn't usually allow herself to splurge on. "But, thanks."

"It was the least we could do," Ziva returned. Then her voice took on more than a hint of warning. "But do not let that go to your head. We may kick your ass first and ask questions later if you attempt something like that again."

"Message received," Borin assured her, refraining from making a promise she might not keep and moving into the real reason behind her call: reconnaissance on whether any angelic intervention was needed for the all-important First Valentine's Day. "So, what do you two love birds have planned for February 14th?"

"February 14th? That is next Thursday, is it not? Working, I suppose." Ziva bit back a grin as she played dumb. It would serve her Guardian Angel right to be left wondering on this.

"You're kidding me, right?" Abigail asked in disbelief.

"No," Ziva drawled slowly. "I am pretty sure we are working."

She was practically cackling in her mind as she strung her friend along.

"It's Valentine's Day, Ziva," her friend pointed out with some exasperation. "You should do something special with Gibbs."

"Valentine's Day is here already?" Ziva asked in mock surprise as Gibbs appeared in the doorway. Her eyes twinkled mischievously at him as she continued her conversation, her version of nonchalant worthy of an Emmy Award. "Hmmm. Well, I am sure we will come up with something. Perhaps we will treat ourselves to take-out and have a nice, relaxing evening."

Jethro could hear Borin's snort through the phone and his lips twitched.

"Take-out? Relaxing - ?!" Her friends could practically picture Borin slapping her forehead in despair. "Look, I'll find a nice restaurant for you and make a reservation. All you'll have to do is show up with Gibbs in tow. And for God's sake, buy him a card or something."

"Thank you for offering, but I am sure we will do just fine on our own. You can hang up the white robe, Abigail," Ziva informed her. "You have done your part."

"But –"

"I have to go now so I can finish fixing dinner. Enjoy your bourbon. Goodbye, Abby."

Ziva took a page out of her lover's book and hung up the phone while her friend was in mid-protest on the other end. She grinned at Jethro as he walked over and braced his hands against the counter on either side of her hips. Her own hands came up to rest on his magnificent chest as he leaned down to press a kiss to her upturned lips.

"What was that about?" he asked, tilting his head toward her phone where it now lay on the counter once more.

"Abigail was wondering if it was safe to open her package," Ziva shared with that twinkle still in her eye. "I teased her a bit, then told her to go ahead. She was very appreciative."

His characteristic smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.

"I think she is also worried that we will not manage to celebrate Valentine's Day in the manner she believes we should, if left to our own devices," Ziva offered dryly.

Gibbs huffed out a snort through his nose.

"Sounds like your Guardian Angel's been talking to mine."

"Oh?" she asked, one eyebrow lifted.

He nodded. "Just hung up on Tobias."

Knowing he meant that literally, Ziva chuckled.

His eyes warmed, the affection in them unmistakable.

"Still on for dinner that night?" he asked in a low, sexy voice.

Ziva's body flowed against his as she smoothed her hands up to wrap them around the back of his neck.

"Wild elephants could not keep me away," she murmured in a smoky tone that had his jeans feeling tight. He was too distracted by the way her soft lips were skimming a line of kisses along his jaw to correct her use of the phrase.

Besides, it was apt enough and _Oo-rah_ for the thought behind it.

"Are you still cooking dinner for us?" she murmured against the shell of his ear, sending shivers down his spine. "You know I would be happy to."

"I'm still cookin'," he managed, nuzzling her throat. "Though you may end up wishing you had."

She grinned against his skin as she shook her head.

"I seriously doubt that," she denied, tilting her head back to capture his gaze with her own. "I trust you." Then the smile in her eyes darkened with need … desire … secrets. Her voice dipped an octave, hardening his body even further. "Besides, all I need on that night or any other is you."

Ziva urged his mouth to her very kissable lips, underscoring her point.

He released a hope toward the heavens that she really meant that, then lost himself in kissing her back.

ZGZGZGZGZGZGZG

The following Monday, Ziva walked into the lab to ask their favorite forensic scientist her opinion about an evidence report on a cold case that had been done by a local law enforcement agency before the victim's Navy connection had been discovered. She caught her coworker abruptly ending a Skype call with Agent Borin.

"Oh! Hi, Ziva." Abby tried to be blasé – _no, no, nothin' to see here_ - but failed miserably.

"I did not know we were assisting the Coast Guard with anything right now," Ziva said, lifting an eyebrow in question. She knew full well her two friends had something on their minds besides work or the Abby in front of her would not have hung up so quickly with such a guilty look on her face and without giving the other Abby a chance to say hello to Ziva.

"We're not," the Goth admitted, unable to lie – but not wanting to admit to the truth, either.

Borin and Fornell weren't the only two with an urge to play cupid this Valentine's Day. Gibbs and Ziva were just so _cute_ together; they deserved a special night, but neither of them had been much in the habit of thinking that way, as far as anyone else knew.

Abby went with a partial truth on the phone call. "She just wanted to say hi."

Ziva's eyebrow rose even further.

"_Just_ to say hi?"

"Yeah, well … um … yeah," Abby tried weakly. She was really going to have to work on her game face, she thought.

Ziva decided to let her friend off the fish hook … for now. She asked her question about the report and Abby's answer confirmed her gut that the theory given to explain the blood spatter didn't match the pictures. With a word of thanks, Ziva turned to go back upstairs. As she got to the doorway, she turned her head to cast a look over her shoulder.

"Say hello to Abigail for me when you call her back," Ziva requested with a smug sparkle in her eye. "And tell her there is no need for the two of you to worry about Valentine's Day. We have it covered."

With a wink at Abby's surprised expression, she headed back to the bullpen.

ZGZGZGZGZGZGZG

Two days later, Tony and Gibbs were riding in the elevator coming back from questioning a new suspect in the cold case they had been working on. It looked like they were headed toward a break in the case thanks to Ziva's observation on the blood spatter. The guy had been clearly nervous and Gibbs had made the decision to let him stew for a bit, leaving Ziva and McGee to keep an eye on things from enough distance that the man might make the mistake that the team was hoping for.

Tony cleared his throat.

"So, tomorrow's Valentine's Day," he observed brightly. "You and Ziva have plans?"

The team had been happily surprised at the first of the year to learn that Ziva and Gibbs were now together, having figured out a long time ago that they were perfect for each other. Abby had rocked knowingly back and forth on her heels and asked what had taken them so long, and the whole group grinned good-naturedly when Tony had wondered out loud why _he_ hadn't thought of locking them in a hotel room.

Gibbs just looked at him there in the slowly moving elevator car until DiNozzo had the urge to squirm.

"The first Valentine's Day, that's pretty special, ya know," Tony pointed out, starting to babble. "You should go for something romantic. You can't go wrong with the tried and true, Boss: flowers, dinner, chocolate … the whole nine yards. Women love that stuff."

The older man continued to stare at him for a moment.

"You sure you're the best person to be giving me advice on this, DiNozzo?"

Considering his current single status and colorful track record, the Very Special Agent conceded internally that maybe the man had a point. However, it was also true that nobody could do romantic like a DiNozzo when he put his mind to it.

"Well, yeah," Tony defended himself. "Who else are you going to ask? McGee? Fornell?" He practically snorted as he completely ignored the fact that Gibbs hadn't _asked_. "I mean, no offense to them, but come on!" He contemplated for a heartbeat. "But I'll bet the Duckman has moves we've never even dreamed of in this department." Then he wrinkled his face in distaste. "But let's just not go there, deal?"

Gibbs smirked, then relented. Tony meant well and he knew it.

"Got it covered, DiNozzo. Not my first rodeo."

He kept to himself just how special this one was, though. That was for Ziva to know first.

"But –"

A slap to the back of his head cut Tony off.

"Understood, Boss. You've got it covered."

_TBC ..._

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_A/N: And, yes, it is possible to legally ship alcohol in the States if you follow the rules. For instance, you can have it shipped directly from some state liquor stores.  
_


	2. Yours & Mine

_A/N:__ This chapter is dedicated to all of you who have placed this in your favorites and on alert. THANK YOU. It makes my fluffy heart smile. :)_

_Speaking of fluffy hearts smiling ... welcome to Ch. 2. :D This one is a bit of a marathon and it's the kind of chapter I know I like to sink into, rather like you might do with a really warm bubble bath with a mug or glass of something on the side. Mmmmm ... *fluffy heart sighs* ^_^ I hope you enjoy it and that you'll let me know if you do._

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The next evening, Ziva opened Jethro's front door and stepped inside. She sat her overnight bag and a basket on the floor, then hung her coat on the nearby rack. She had just stooped to pull his gift out of her bag when the man himself showed up in the doorway to the living room.

"Hey." The warm affection in his voice skittered up her spine while that characteristic smile of his made her stomach flip-flop.

"Hello," she murmured back throatily, allowing her eyes to wander over him. He looked yummy enough to nibble on in his white button-down shirt that had been left untucked over his nicely-fitting jeans. The top button on the shirt was undone hinting at what she knew first-hand to be a mouth-watering chest underneath and his sleeves were rolled back, revealing his muscular forearms. She left what she was doing, stood gracefully and took the few steps necessary to reach him so that her body could rest lightly against his. "You look amazing."

He shook his head slightly.

"That would be you," he husked. "I'm seriously underdressed."

And he was grateful she'd walked to him, as he couldn't have taken another step just then if his life had depended on it. One full-on look at her had cut him off at the knees.

She was wearing a red wrap-around dress with three-quarter sleeves and a sweetheart neckline. It was deceptively simple, but the soft material clung to her curves in an alluring fashion. The slightly flared skirt was just long enough to flirt with her knees in a most distracting manner.

Because the inside snap that held one side in place was invisible from the outside, the bow resting over her left hip gave the pulse-racing impression that one good tug would leave her undressed in a heartbeat. The elegant black suede pumps with three-inch heels and a red bottom that flashed as she walked made her legs look a mile long and sexy as hell.

Her hair was down and styled in that finger-combed, scrunched manner that added an untamed, just a little-bit-wild touch to her incredibly seductive appearance.

His hands settled on her hips as she wound one arm around his neck and the other around his waist.

"You are perfectly dressed," she disagreed, subtly rubbing against him and brushing her lips across his throat. "This is a very good look on you. Very, very handsome and sexy."

When he started to shake his head again, she nipped him hard enough on the neck with her teeth to let him know he shouldn't argue with her on that.

And when she soothed the bite with her tongue, Jethro gave up on focusing on anything but her.

"You look beautiful," he told her softly, his eyes and hands wandering over her appreciatively even as he was a little frustrated with himself at not being able to come up with a more imaginative, more descriptive term. Oh, it was apt enough; it just didn't do her justice, especially tonight.

The pleased smile that curved her lips suggested that she didn't seem to mind.

"Wish I had better words for you," he admitted, catching her gaze with his.

"Your words are perfect," she assured him gently, affectionately. The light in her eyes told him she was speaking nothing but the truth. Something moved in those brown depths that he couldn't quite read. "_You_ are perfect …" She laid a finger over his lips as he started to deny that, as well. "For me."

They simply looked at each other for a moment, connecting wordlessly in that way they had.

Then he smiled.

"Guess we're still even, then," he offered, echoing words he'd spoken to her on New Year's Eve, before he kissed her thrilled grin right off her face.

After he let her up for air, Ziva tucked her nose into his neck and held onto him tightly.

"I have wanted to kiss you all day," she admitted on a sigh. "And this is going to sound ridiculous since we were together most of the day at work, but I missed you last night. And this morning."

They'd spent far more nights together than apart since that magical First Night in the hotel, but they had each stayed at their own place last night as they'd both had secret errands to run and tasks to complete in order to be ready for tonight.

He exhaled in contentment and relaxed into her.

"Me, too." Gibbs laid his cheek on her hair and just breathed her in for a moment.

Not for the first time he was struck by just how _sure_ he was of all this with her, how comfortable he was. Nothing felt like it was too much, too soon. It just felt … right.

With one last squeeze, they moved apart. Jethro picked up the basket she'd carried in, his eyes lighting up when she informed him it had a homemade Dutch apple pie inside that was ready to go into the oven to bake while they ate. She'd talked him into letting her bring dessert and while something chocolate may have been more traditional, apple pie was his favorite and so that's what she'd made.

She retrieved a card and smallish square box from her bag, then walked in front of him to the living room. She stopped so abruptly, he nearly ran into her.

The room was bathed in a low light that came from one lamp and the flames crackling merrily in the fireplace. The dining table had been placed in front of the hearth and was set for two, but that wasn't what had captured her attention. A large bouquet of deep red roses held court from the low coffee table in front of the couch. Whispers of baby's breath and sprays of iridescent pearls set the arrangement off to perfection.

Leaning against the vase was a gold candy box with an attractive purple bow. She could tell by the box that it held her favorite chocolates: a raspberry crème center surrounded by a dark, rich chocolate.

Her head swiveled slowly back to look at him, clearly dazed.

"You bought me roses," she breathed hesitantly. Her voice went husky with emotion. "Really, really beautiful roses."

He smiled, absurdly pleased with her reaction. Tried and true they might be, but he'd still managed to surprise her.

"Well, they're sure not for me," he teased her gently, lightly smoothing one finger down her cheekbone.

Ziva chuckled and blinked back the tears that stung. There had to be two dozen roses there. She'd never received anything with such an abundance of simple, classic beauty.

Sometimes he simply bowled her over.

She hoped he never stopped.

Ziva couldn't help but lean in close to breathe in the fragrant scent of the flowers and brush her face against the velvet-like petals before turning fully back to him. Cupping his jaw in her hand, she pulled him in for a soft, clinging kiss, then rested her forehead against his chin.

"Thank you. I love –" There was a slight pause before she finished with, "Them."

She just caught herself from saying _you_. She did love him and intended to tell him tonight, but she wanted the moment to be as special as she could make it, so she held it in a little longer.

He smiled and spared a wish for that hesitation to mean exactly what he hoped it might. Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he murmured against her skin, "I'm glad."

They ate dinner in front of the fire. At the risk of being predictable, he'd made steak, baked potatoes and salad, but hell – it was the only thing he cooked well enough for an important occasion like tonight. If he'd been eating alone, he'd have passed on the salad, but she liked it so he'd thrown one together with help from pre-cut lettuce and veggies from the grocery.

Despite the fact that neither of them generally felt the need for a lot of conversation, they chatted easily about everything and nothing, including stories of the numerous conversations and texts attempted by their friends over the past week in a well-meaning, albeit unnecessary group effort to make sure the couple had a memorable first Valentine's Day.

Gibbs laughed when Ziva wondered out loud if she should stick a note on the door with her knife assuring any and all who might dare to interrupt in person tonight that they had it covered.

As she carried the last of their dishes to the kitchen and lightly covered the still-warm apple pie that was now missing two pieces, he moved the table out of the way and tossed some blankets and pillows down in front of the fireplace. She walked back in as he knelt to add more wood to the fire and stoke the flames. She stopped, leaning against the doorframe between the kitchen and living room, just to admire the look of him.

And to think he was all hers.

She stepped to the table holding her flowers, appreciating their beauty and scent once more before the temptation to taste one of her chocolates got the best of her. The low moan of pleasure that escaped her throat brought his attention to her and his body to attention.

Ziva felt his gaze and turned a provocative look in his direction, deliberately licking the last bit of chocolate from her fingers. She meant to drive him a little bit crazy and succeeded very well.

He reached out to pull her down on the blankets with him. She held back long enough to kick off her shoes and grab the package she'd laid on the coffee table earlier on their way to the kitchen.

She placed the gift off to the side for a moment as she settled in beside him. She'd left her legs bare in spite of the cool evening and they were curved to the side with her feet back by her bottom. He sat on her right with one leg curled under him, his right forearm resting on his raised, bent knee.

Ziva reached for her glass of red wine and took a healthy sip. Her nerves were jumping in that wild-butterflies-in-your-stomach kind of way. She had taken a risk with his card and with his gift, and was unsure of how those were going to go over.

Time to find out.

She put her wine glass down and reached for the card and box she had tucked beside her. She leaned into him, tilting her head, meeting him in a soft, warm kiss that shimmered through her and settled on her heart. Pulling back slowly, lips clinging, she smiled at him and laid his card and gift on his leg in silent invitation for him to open it.

With that characteristic smile of his tugging at one side of his mouth, he did.

He opened the card first and her heart thudded in her chest, knowing what he would see there … wondering desperately what he would think of it.

Gibbs held the card out where he could read the words. The front was eye-catching, but not too fancy. Two artistically-drawn hearts adorned the cream-colored front, one in a brilliant red and the other in royal purple, slightly overlapping. Over and under those was the beginning of a sentence.

_Because of all that you are and all that I am when I am with you …_

He opened the card and Ziva unconsciously held her breath.

_I love you._

It was signed _Always, Ziva._

Gibbs looked at the card silently for a long moment and then reached out to trace a finger over those words. Ziva watched him, still not breathing.

"You mean that?" he asked softly, raising his eyes to hers.

She nodded, everything she felt showing in her eyes. Love. Desire. Longing.

Nerves.

His slow smile banished some of her uncertainty, though her heart was still pounding – now for more reasons than one.

Jethro cupped her jaw in one of his big, strong hands and tilted her face to his for another long kiss that curled her toes and stole the breath that had just returned to her lungs.

She tried not to be disappointed when, without a word, he turned away from her and reached for a card and a gift she hadn't noticed that were tucked near the side of the fireplace.

With that smile she adored, he wordlessly handed her the card, nodding at her to open it.

A slight smile that almost reached her eyes curved her lips as she did.

The front of the card was filled with a picture of a lovely arrangement of roses that looked remarkably similar to the one on the table. Her smile deepened of its own accord. There were no words on the outside, only on the inside.

Three little words …

That meant so much.

Perhaps especially in their simplicity.

_I love you._

It was signed simply _Jethro._

Happy tears filled her eyes as she stared at the card until her vision blurred. She tried to blink them away as he gently lifted her chin so he could see her face, but a trail of moisture beaded down one cheek like a delicate strand of diamonds.

Her trembling smile brought out his own as he rested his forehead against hers and his hand shifted to cradle her cheek, his fingers spearing into her luxurious hair.

"Didn't mean to make you cry," he murmured gently, making her cry a little more as a chuckle with more than a hint of joy left her throat.

"It is the happy kind of crying," she assured him in a voice gone husky with emotion, tilting her head back far enough to smile up at him.

"Glad to hear it," he returned, brushing her tears away with his thumb.

"Will you say it?" she whispered, her stomach doing back-flips as she asked for what she wanted, what she needed.

His gaze never wavering from hers, sounding nothing but sure and true, he did.

"I love you, Ziver."

"I love you, too," she responded emotionally. "More than I can really put into words."

The flare of happiness in his eyes gradually gave way to a suggestive gleam.

"You could try it without talking."

Her sound of delight danced lightly on the air at his proposal and she happily complied. Before long, she had him leaning back against the cushions as she rose over him, swamping his senses with desire as she kissed him brainless.

She shifted her leg to lay it over one of his and felt the box that held his gift beneath her thigh. Slowly, so slowly, she pulled back from the kiss, a sense of gratification rolling through her at the dazed look in those brilliant blue eyes.

"It is time for you to open your gift," she said softly. Then her gaze took on a sexy glimmer. "Well, one of them. The other one is hiding under my dress, but if you unwrap that one first, we will never get to the other."

He swallowed.

Hard.

His eyes traced along her red dress as though he might see what was underneath if he just concentrated enough.

"More new underwear?" he managed, his jeans getting tight.

"Mmhmm," she drawled, nuzzling his throat as one of his hands swept slowly from the curve of her hip to the gentle slope of her breast. "Well, if you can call it that."

Oh, man.

Ziva liked to wear pretty underwear, even beneath the practical clothing she favored, and she had indeed surprised him too many times to count with what he found underneath her clothes, just as she had promised she would their first night together.

And she adored the way he appreciated her pretty underwear, too.

"I do believe this is officially the sexiest thing I now own," she breathed into his ear.

Given what he'd seen her in before, he just might end up a dead man before the morning.

With a groan, he dragged her mouth back to his and nearly devoured her.

After he finally let her up to catch her breath, she sat back a little and handed him the square box that was wrapped in ruby red paper and tied with a silver ribbon. She wouldn't quite meet his eyes, which piqued his interest. Then he noticed the way her fingers were fidgeting with the hem of her dress and he realized she was nervous about the gift.

"Ziver?"

She opened her mouth to say something, then closed it without a word. She just shook her head slightly and nudged him forward with a small smile.

He sat up and looked at her bent head for a moment, but when she didn't lift her eyes from his hands he unwrapped the gift and lifted the lid on the box. He stared at what was inside long enough for her nerves to nearly get the better of her. Then, her heart gave a relieved flutter as she risked a glance at his expression and saw a slow smile curve his lips. He lifted out his gift, savoring the feel of it in his hand.

"I like the idea of you wearing something that says you belong to me," she explained in a warm, quiet voice, her eyes still on his handsome face, "and that makes you think of our first night together every time you look at it, even if we are the only two who know what it means." Then she paused and averted her gaze before she pushed ahead. "But I would understand if you hate the idea of wearing it."

She felt his look of surprise and glanced back up at him.

"Really? 'cause I wouldn't."

She allowed a small self-derisive smile at his observation, then admitted wryly, "Okay, so I would _try _to understand. I realize it is not something you normally wear."

He was holding a silver Marine-style ID bracelet with heavy links that looked nothing but masculine. Engraved on the top with just enough flair to be attractive, but not so much as to be completely unlike him was simply a date: _December 31, 2012_. That made him smile just reading it.

He'd never forget that night, with or without the bracelet.

He could feel something underneath and turned it over to find _Love, Ziva _engraved on the inside.

Hell, he'd wear it just for that.

Gibbs grasped her chin in his hand and lifted her gaze to his.

"Like the idea of wearing it, too," he admitted softly, "and you can tell anyone you want what it means." His gaze heated, causing a delicious tension to unfurl low in her belly. "I'll never forget that night, but thinking 'bout it when I look at this? Sounds good."

A breathtakingly lovely, pleased expression stole across her face. It made him happy just to see her happy.

She reached out for the bracelet.

"May I?" she asked almost diffidently.

He nodded and handed it to her with a smile.

She fastened it on his left wrist and smoothed her hand over it. She pressed a kiss to his palm and held onto his hand, then looked up him with eyes that were bright with emotion.

"Mine," she whispered, her eyes dark with need as she leaned toward his mouth.

He met her halfway.

"Yours," he agreed against her lips before they shared a kiss full of wonder and love and desire. When they pulled slightly apart, he added, "Always."

With that, she couldn't help but pull him in for another kiss, the ardent embrace flowing through them both, warming them deliciously from the inside out.

Ziva started to push him onto his back again, about to suggest he could open his other present when he reached for her gift.

"Jethro," she protested as he laid a long, narrow rectangular box in her hands. "You already gave me roses and my favorite chocolates – and you made me dinner."

"Turns out I want you wearing something that says you belong to me, too," he advised her, nodding toward the box.

She cocked her head at him, her eyes squinting ever so slightly in question. The shape suggested a bracelet or a necklace could be inside, she supposed.

Ziva removed the ribbon and paper covering the box, forcing herself to go slowly and savor the moment when she just really wanted to rip into it to see what he'd given her. She couldn't have been more surprised when she lifted the hinged lid of the simple, yet classy wooden box she discovered under the wrapping paper.

Inside, she found a very fine, clearly hand-crafted, well-tooled throwing knife cushioned by sapphire blue crushed velvet.

She certainly hadn't been expecting anything along those lines from his comment, but she couldn't help but be captivated by the lethal elegance of the silver blade and the smooth ebony wood handle.

"I have never seen one quite like this," she pondered out loud as her fingertips stroked over it, clearly fascinated.

"That's 'cause it's a custom order," he told her. "One of a kind."

He watched her for a few seconds more, then urged her, "Go on. Take it out."

If she didn't, she'd never find the rest.

She lifted it out to test the balance and it couldn't have felt more perfect in her hand.

But wait – had something just shifted inside the handle? That did not seem possible.

He bit back a grin as her brow furrowed in mild confusion as she considered the knife carefully, tilting her head as she did. She turned the weapon over.

There – it did it again. It wasn't so much a sound as a … _feel_.

She looked up at him. "It seems like there is something inside here."

He just looked at her expectantly with a twinkle in his eye. She was a smart woman, his Ziver; she'd figure it out.

She narrowed her eyes slightly at him. He was clearly up to something and wasn't ready to give it up yet.

Ziva went back to examining the knife carefully and discovered a minuscule lever on one side where the blade met the handle. It was tucked in just right so you wouldn't press it accidently and had to be looking to find it. She moved her nail over it and almost jumped when the black wood on one side of the handle opened smoothly to the side revealing a secret cavity inside.

A cavity that was currently filled with a soft black velvet pouch.

Ziva stared at it for a long moment, then up at Jethro.

His tender smile made her heart thump in her chest. There was tenderness there, yes … and so much more. He reached out and tucked her hair behind her left ear, leaving his palm to cup her cheek. She closed her eyes for a moment from the pure pleasure of feeling his skin against hers and pressed her face into his hand.

When she opened her eyes, he asked with that smile of his, "Wonder how that got in there?"

Her lips curved and she shook her head at him as his hand dropped to rest on her thigh. She removed the pouch from the knife and closed her hand around it, searching for a clue as to what was inside.

Her sensitive fingers made out the unmistakable impression of a …

Ring.

Ring?

Ziva's heart was pumping so fast now that she spared a thought to wonder if it was going to beat right out of her chest. Her blood rushed through her veins and pounded in her ears.

_Easy_ she told herself._ There is more than one possibility here._

She stared down at the soft cloth bag that she was now cradling in her palm.

Gibbs reached for it. When he lifted it from her hand, she almost snatched it back, already missing its slight weight, no matter what was inside or the meaning behind it.

With a gentle hand under her chin, he raised her gaze to his.

"For the last …" His voice faded off as his eyes flicked away. She saw him come to some kind of decision. He wanted nothing but honesty between them and he wouldn't ask for more than he was willing to give.

Not with her.

Almost visibly bracing himself, he tried again, saying the names he usually swallowed. "Since I lost Shannon and Kelly, only been sure of two things: the job and my role in it."

His eyes came back to hers. The love and certainty shining there for her moved her to tears.

"Until you."

With those two words, her tears overflowed their banks silently.

"Can't really explain it." His brow furrowed a little and she raised a hand with a gentle smile and smoothed out the lines that had formed on his forehead. "It's like … a piece of me that was missing … isn't missing anymore."

The light shining in her eyes through her tears chased away even the darkest shadows that had clung tenaciously to him over the years. It wasn't that he'd ever forget … it was more like he could breathe again instead of feeling like he was trapped underwater.

A whisper of a sob escaped her throat. The hand that had risen to his forehead cupped his cheek and pulled his face down so she could rest her forehead against his.

"You can take as long as you need to be sure, but I want you to know where I am with this." He pulled back far enough that he could see into her beautiful face, one that had become so necessary to him in an obscenely short period of time. "Want forever with you, Ziva."

"Jethro –"

He laid a finger over her soft pink lips, then couldn't resist rubbing over them sensuously.

"Say anything but no. I'll wait for you to catch up."

In that moment, Ziva knew what it meant for a heart to be filled to overflowing with joy. She didn't have the words to truly capture it. It was like … a field of flowers blooming with vibrant color as far as the eye could see … beautiful music rushing through her veins … fireworks bursting, flinging a thousand points of light from her head to her toes.

She might have rolled her eyes and shaken her head with an incredulous snort at the poetic imagery that breezed through her mind, but she was far too focused on the love bubbling up inside her and emanating from the man beside her.

The man who wanted to _always_ be beside her.

She hushed the tiny voice that whispered there were things they should talk about – work … where they would live … kids.

An unexpected bolt of warmth and longing shot straight to her womb. _ A child … Jethro's child. _

_Perhaps … even more than one - ?_

Inside, she took a steadying breath. There was no doubt in her mind they'd work those things out together. None of the possible answers were deal-breakers for her because nothing was more important to her than being with Jethro.

"I do not wish for you to wait," she said softly, her eyes dropping back down to the velvet pouch he still held in his hand.

He hid it well, but part of him fought not to shut down, pull back. He'd known it was soon – probably too soon - and that he was no prize catch, but he also knew he was in this for the long haul and he wanted her to know it, too.

He started to open the soft bag hiding her ring. Couldn't hurt to sweeten the deal.

"You should see the ring. You might like it."

Ziva's heart stumbled and she fell even further at the hint of vulnerability in his words.

He was actually afraid she might turn him down.

Silly man.

She laid a gentle hand over his, stopping his movements.

Her other hand shifted to sift those gorgeous silver strands of his hair through her fingers before her fingertips trailed slowly down his treasured handsome face to cup his jaw gently in her hand. Capturing his brilliant blue eyes with her brown ones, she spoke.

"I do not wish for you to wait and I do not need to see the ring first." Her voice was gentle but steady, her gaze warm and unwavering. "Ask me."

His heart was suddenly pounding as though he'd been running.

And, in some ways, hadn't he spent the last twenty years or so doing just that?

But, he'd reached the finish line … and maybe – just maybe – she was waiting there for him.

He gripped her hand, the velvet pouch holding the diamond that he hoped he'd soon be putting on her finger nestled carefully between their palms.

"Love you, Ziva," he told her first, nothing but truth shining from his eyes.

Taking a breath for courage, he stepped off the emotional ledge he'd clung to all alone for longer than he cared to consider.

"Will you marry me?"

_TBC ..._


	3. Neshama

"_Will you marry me?"_

She didn't even have to think about it.

Wrapping him around her heart, she took a flying leap off the ledge after him, catching him on the way down.

"Yes."

The euphoric smile that bloomed across her face lit up her eyes and mirrored the one on his.

"Yes?" he asked hopefully, praying he'd heard right.

"Yes," she repeated happily without even a hint of doubt in her voice.

His short laugh was pure joy incarnated as he wrapped his left arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him. Warmth filled her belly and spread throughout her body at the obvious relief and happiness that poured into his expression.

"Now you wanna see the ring?" he murmured into her hair.

"Absolutely," she admitted on an elated sigh with a smile, giving him a look that made him glad he was sitting down. "But, first, I want you to kiss me."

She didn't have to ask twice.

Their grinning mouths slowly came together … softly moving, clinging … opening to welcome the other inside … tongues stroking, teasing, dancing … until nothing existed but their physical and emotional connection.

Her left hand and his right were still clasped, the ring between them. Their arms drifted in until those hands were tucked protectively between them near their hearts.

The kiss went on and on … spinning out … shimmering all around and throughout them. Slowly, they came up for air, going back once, twice more before leaning their heads together, so grateful to be together.

"_Neshama_," she whispered emotionally into the comfortable silence that cocooned them.

He wrapped his long fingers around her neck, his thumb brushing back and forth over her jaw, as he tilted both their heads back just far enough to see her eyes clearly.

"That Hebrew?" he asked softly.

She nodded, almost shyly.

Intrigued, he wondered, "What's it mean?"

Her voice was very, very soft as she answered.

"It means … 'my soul.'" She fought to keep her eyes on his, tried not to hide as she revealed the true depth of emotion she felt for him. "It is a common term of endearment in Hebrew … but I have never used it. Until now. Until you."

His warm characteristic smile made her heart flutter and she was very glad she'd told him. He pressed a soft, grateful kiss to her lips, then gazed back into her eyes.

"Can I say it back to you like that or do I have to change the word?" He'd picked up enough Hebrew from her to know that some things were gender-specific, like in Spanish.

She felt almost absurdly touched that he would ask.

"That word is the same for both of us," she told him with a slight, easy smile. "But you do not have to say it."

"And if I want to?"

She went completely still at his question.

"Well, then …" she started faintly, pausing for a heartbeat. "Of course you may."

"_Neshama_," he murmured, drowning in her brown-eyed gaze. Satisfaction gleamed in his eyes. "I like it. Fits."

A wave of love for him crashed over her with such force that she nearly staggered even sitting down. She blinked back more tears of happiness as she pressed herself even more closely to him.

She had no words for how much it meant to hear that coming from him in the language of her heart, so she tucked her face into his throat, pressed a heartfelt kiss to his skin, hoped he received the message through that wordless bond that was so strong between them.

From the way he cradled her so close that not even a whisper could have passed between them, it appeared he did.

Then her left hand squeezed his right.

"Perhaps … now?" she requested softly, looking at the velvet pouch they still held between them.

He nodded his head to the side in affirmation and reached in to pull out the ring he'd chosen.

"Jeweler said we could exchange it for something else if it's not what you want," he told her, suddenly uncharacteristically nervous.

"Jethro?"

She waited until he paused in his actions and his eyes locked on hers again.

"Do you love it?"

He hesitated, then nodded.

"Did you choose it for me?"

He looked at her a little oddly, then nodded again.

Her smile was breathtaking.

"Then it is perfect." She didn't even have to see it to know that.

He glanced back down at his hands, but his half-smile tugged at his lips once more.

"Close your eyes and give me your hand," he directed her in a voice growing husky with emotion.

She did, without hesitation.

The way she trusted him – only him - blew his mind sometimes.

Gently taking her left hand in his, he slid the engagement ring onto her finger.

It looked and fit even more perfectly than he'd imagined.

"Can open your eyes now," he directed quietly, warmly, his smile coloring his voice.

Ziva's gaze went straight to the fourth finger on her left hand.

Her heart stuttered. Stopped. Galloped.

Adorning her hand was the most beautiful ring she'd ever seen.

She'd have gasped, but she had no breath for that.

Ziva admired the ring with her eyes as she reached out to touch it gently, lovingly, reverently with her other hand.

At the center of the platinum band sat a round princess-cut diamond that sparkled brilliantly. On either side, two smaller round diamonds snuggled up to the one in the center and four pave-set diamonds filled the ring's shank on either side of those.

She absolutely loved it. Couldn't even imagine anything more perfect.

"Jethro?" she husked, clearing her throat gently.

"Yeah?"

"You are now in charge of choosing all of my jewelry for the rest of our lives."

Her eyes snagged his. The ecstatic delight in her expression made his heart trip just before she launched herself more fully into his arms, knocking him over onto his back as she pressed a thousand kisses over his face, his neck, his chest.

He laughed and rolled her beneath him, capturing her lips in a deep, heartfelt kiss.

When he let her up to breathe, he looked down at her shining eyes, her mussed hair, her slightly swollen lips that were now a darker shade of pink and thought she'd never looked more beautiful.

"Did I mention that I love my ring?" she husked, one hand wrapped behind his neck and the other caressing his face.

"Not exactly, but I got that impression." He grinned and the very walls of the house seemed to settle with a happy sigh as they absorbed the enchanted laughter from the couple in front of the fire.

"Good." Ziva reached up to plant a brief, hard kiss on his mouth to underscore her point.

Resting her head back down on a pillow, she gazed into his eyes.

"People will say we are crazy," she observed wryly, "becoming engaged so soon."

"Let 'em," he returned.

She let her left hand drift over his face, his shoulder, down his chest, partly just to watch her ring sparkle in the firelight.

"Whadda you think?" Her answer to that was the only thing that mattered to him.

Ziva raised her eyes to his and locked her hands behind his neck, her body softening to cradle him against her.

"I think," she began slowly, her gaze never wavering from his, "that not everything is about time … and that, on some level, we have been on this path from the moment we met."

Her left hand came forward to trace gently, lovingly over his features.

"Do you remember that day?" she asked softly.

The look in his eyes and tender curve to his mouth made her heart turn over in her chest.

"Never forget it," he assured her quietly.

"Even with everything else that was happening, there was this … sense of recognition, a shock almost, the moment I looked into your eyes for the first time … and I knew."

"Knew what?"

"That we somehow belonged together, though I had no idea how that would come to be, especially after …" She looked away from him as a shadowed memory crossed her eyes that spoke of Kate, of Ari. "Everything."

He bent his head to nuzzle her throat, her cheek, offering her comfort that she gratefully received.

"And then I was gone and then Jenny brought me back and you were … irritated." Her lips twitched as her gaze came back to his.

He snorted.

"Could say that," he agreed. "But that was more about Jenny going behind my back ..." He paused for a heartbeat, then came clean with an admission of his own. "And about figuring out how the hell I was going to keep things just professional between us seein' you every day."

Her eyes widened a bit in surprise.

"That shock you got was like a punch in the gut for me," he admitted wryly.

"You hid it very well," she told him.

"Well, yeah."

That made her snort delicately.

"So did you," he pointed out.

"Well, yeah," she copied in an exaggerated tone, before chuckling lightly.

He bumped his nose against hers affectionately.

Ziva's eyes sobered a little.

"I tried to convince myself that the sense of belonging I felt when we met was about working together, becoming friends, being accepted into the family that was your team. I did not completely succeed, but at least it permitted me to function ... and allowed me to stay near you, even if that was getting difficult lately."

"Why?" he asked softly.

She closed her eyes briefly, then found his again.

"No matter what I told myself, I knew that my feelings for you were more than that … that no one else was ever going to be to me what I knew you could be. After everything with Dearing, I was reminded that life was short – often brutally so. In some ways, I suppose that is what made it especially hard over the last few months.

"You see, over the years, as I became more than what I had been, I gradually wanted more of a life." She gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "But really only with you."

She paused for a moment before continuing.

"And I thought it would never happen."

The sorrow in her expression as she remembered the loneliness prompted by that thought moved him to brush his lips over her cheeks, her jaw, her lips.

And then because this was no time for sadness, she consciously reached for the memory of New Year's Eve and gave him a breathtaking smile that brought a lump of emotion to his throat.

"But, with the help of a couple of self-appointed Guardian Angels, it turned out I was wrong."

She lifted her head to brush her mouth over his.

"And I could not be happier about that," she smiled, her eyes sparkling, captivating him.

Bending his head, he captured her lips in a soft, warm kiss that gradually deepened. The depth of feeling behind it communicated all he had failed to say over these last few years.

When he lifted his head at last, he gazed with satisfaction at the dazed, slumberous look in her eyes. Then he gave her a little more of himself.

"Sometimes couldn't help but think about being with you, saying to hell with Rule Twelve, but then I'd remember I was too old for you, too …" His voice trailed off and he shook his head. He couldn't figure out how to say _too remote, too broken, too _… something. Too everything.

But the tender smile she gave him and the soft caress on his cheek said she understood … and yet, completely disagreed.

"I believe we have established that you are perfect for me," she reminded him, wiggling closer and taking his lips in a kiss that made his pulse pound.

"Well, I'm hoping I am," he responded dryly when he could speak. Then he looked at her with need and desire swirling in his eyes. "'Cause I don't want to let you go."

"I am not going to let you," she returned with a saucy, yet affectionate look in her eyes.

"Gonna hold you to that," he declared, punctuating his point with a brief kiss. He considered something for a moment, then said, "Had another reason for keeping Rule Twelve around."

"Oh?" she asked with a slight lift of a brow. "What was that?"

He debated on how to say it, then settled on a roundabout way.

"There's a betting pool on when you and DiNozzo are going to get together." And while he cared enough for both of them to want them to be happy, he just hadn't been able to smooth the way for that to happen unless he became convinced that was they both needed.

"I know," she answered calmly, surprising him.

She brought her left hand up to admire her engagement ring once more.

"I wonder if I can collect my winnings now or if I will have to wait until after the wedding," she mused thoughtfully out loud.

She raised her gaze to catch his astonished and confused one.

"Tony and I each gave Ducky one hundred dollars to place on never," she explained cheekily. "The three of us are going to split the winnings."

His brow rose nearly to his hairline, then he let out a bark of laughter and shook his head.

Laying his head on her chest, he relaxed into her.

"Sometimes I wondered," he admitted.

She ran soothing hands over his back, through his hair.

"So that is why you assumed I was talking about Tony when you overheard Abigail and me talking on New Year's Eve," she realized. He nodded. She pressed her lips to his forehead and spoke against his skin. "Tony is like a brother to me and I love him for that. We flirt some, but it is just in fun and is one more way of having each other's back."

He tilted his head back to look up at her in confusion.

She smiled down at him.

"It is sort of like pulling a curtain down to keep people from seeing what's underneath, for both of us," she explained. "It protects the real us – even though we never talk about that."

Gibbs relaxed against her once more, tucking his nose into her throat.

"I am sorry if that ever hurt you," she spoke quietly into his hair. "I was so certain I was not meant to have you that I did not realize that it might."

He shook his head slightly.

"The situation did some," he admitted, "though that was more on me than on you."

"But that is in the past and now we have each other," she whispered wondrously, cradling him to him tightly. "For always."

"Always," he promised, reaching up to seal it with a heady kiss.

When he let her up for air, he snuggled back down on top of her … pretty much his favorite place to be these days.

"So tell me, Special Agent Gibbs," Ziva changed the subject in a sexy, conversational drawl, "is this your usual style? Getting engaged after only a few weeks of dating?"

Part of him was ridiculously relieved that she could refer to that so casually as though it truly didn't bother her that she was going to be the fifth Mrs. Leroy Jethro Gibbs.

That would be because it didn't.

He shook his head and dropped a kiss to her mouth.

"This is a first." He looked down at her with all the love he felt shining in his eyes. "And last."

Satisfaction slammed through her, blending with the love and desire flowing within her to create a heady mix.

Taking him by surprise, she rolled him onto his back and leaned over him, her arms braced on either side of his head.

"You are certainly right about that," she agreed firmly in a tone that stopped just short of being a growl. Her eyes narrowed in that patented look that no one could deliver quite like Ziva. "And if anyone decides to test that, remember that the knife you just gave me is more than simply an amazing ring box and I am not afraid to use it."

A full-blown grin crossed his face as his hands smoothed over her lower back to press her more firmly against him. That side of her was one of the things he found incredibly attractive about her.

"Yes, ma'am," he acquiesced, because attraction hadn't made him stupid.

Ziva caught her bottom lip in her teeth adorably as she melted from teasingly sexy and confident to completely besotted just looking at him.

"I adore you," she whispered. Her voice strengthened, revealed her glorious wonder. "And this has been the best Valentine's Day _ever_."

A wild exhilaration _whooshed_ through her body as a thrilled noise left her throat and she hugged him tightly in an unmistakable message: she wasn't letting him go.

Not now.

Not ever.

* * *

_A/N: I put a link on my profile for this engagement ring, as I found a specific one I wanted to use. You might have to copy & paste it into your browser. Check out the name of the company, which I only noticed after I found the ring that spoke to me for them here - talk about serendipity, hmmm? =) Next chapter takes us to M ;) so you might need to be on the look-out for the update. THANKS for all the reading, reviewing, favoriting and following! My readers ROCK! :D  
_


	4. Body & Soul

_"I adore you," she whispered. Her voice strengthened, revealed her glorious wonder. "And this has been the best Valentine's Day __ever__."_

Gibbs hugged her back as his own happy grin gradually took on a decidedly wolfish edge. He lifted his head and nuzzled his face into her neck at that certain spot that never failed to send goosebumps zinging down her arms.

"Not over yet," he all but growled against her skin. "I still have a present to unwrap."

Heat pooled at her center and her hips shifted unconsciously against him.

"Mmmmm …" she sighed throatily in pleasure. "I thought perhaps you had forgotten."

"Forget you in sexy underwear?" He played along with her teasing, giving her a look that said she must have lost her mind. "I'd have to be dead first – and maybe not even then."

Her delighted smirk shot straight to his groin.

It might as well. Every drop of blood in his body seemed to be headed there, too.

She rubbed her cheek against his in pure indulgence.

"Perhaps I could interest you in opening your gift right now?" she then breathed against his lips.

"Wild elephants couldn't stop me," he responded with an inner grin, recalling her use of the phrase. He slanted his mouth across hers softly at first, steadily building the pressure, the heat until their blood was racing through their veins.

Jethro gently rolled Ziva onto her back, slid to her side, molded against her. Her low hum of approval cascaded over his senses, inflaming his desire.

His right hand wandered over her slowly as his lips pressed a line of kisses from her mouth, along her jaw, down her neck … taking his sweet time … determined not to miss a spot.

Her breath hitched, hardening his body even further. Her left knee rose up, bent, causing her skirt to part and slide down her thigh. She pressed herself against him all along his body, craving his nearness on every level.

With a maddening lack of speed, his hand meandered to her left hip. Slowly, he tugged at the bow and lifted his head from the valley between her breasts, wanting to see as more of her was revealed to him.

The right side of her dress slid down to pool between them. He hadn't yet realized there was a snap that held the left side tucked over to her right hip, so his first view of her underwear was a peek of red lace that covered her right breast and disappeared into her dress.

That was enough to make his mouth go dry – and set fire to his imagination.

His hand followed the material of her dress across her middle, searching for what was holding it in place. Ziva was content to allow him to discover the hidden snap for himself, especially as she was busy with some exploring of her own.

Her hands slid over his back, his shoulders … down his strong arms that pleased her so much to touch them … over the contoured muscles of his chest. Her nimble fingers paused unhurriedly at the buttons on his shirt, slipping each one from its mooring.

She was about half-way done when he discovered the snap. Her heart thudded with desire and a hint of nerves as he popped it apart and slowly spread her dress fully open.

Jethro thought for a moment he'd died and gone to heaven … but he was pretty sure heaven wasn't supposed to be this HOT.

_Holy mother of …_

Under that red dress was more red, a barely-there teddy made completely of lace. Thin straps came over her shoulders and widened to cover her breasts with a neckline that plunged nearly to her navel. The outline of a tiny gold heart hung tantalizingly against her dusky skin about where her rib cage ended in the lacy vee created by the fabric, two bits of lace anchoring it to the teddy and serving to connect the bodice in an effort to keep her breasts as covered as they were going to be.

The lace continued on to encircle her waist, widening to approximately six inches all the way around. From high on her hips, a gradually narrowing triangle disappeared between her legs, hiding the most secret part of her from his view.

Gibbs' heart stuttered, then beat inside his chest with an almost sluggish thud that pounded in his ears.

He raised himself up on one elbow so he had a better view and traced over all that red lace with fingers that were suddenly trembling, his eyes searching out the glimpses of her skin revealed in between the more textured places in the design.

Ziva braced herself with her forearms flat against the blankets, raising her torso up so she could better see his reaction.

His dazed, enthralled expression was all she'd hoped for and more.

Her new position thrust her breasts toward him invitingly and his hand was inexorably drawn from exploring her lower belly to caressing those lovely, gentle curves.

She nuzzled her face into his hair.

"It appears you like your present," she breathed seductively into his ear.

Still robbed of speech, he could only nod, that gloriously stunned look still on his face.

"I am glad," she murmured simply, happily, brushing her lips over his head.

Jethro raised his hands to push her dress the rest of the way down and off her arms, leaving her wearing only captivating red lace, gold hearts dangling prettily near her ribs and from her ears, and the ring he'd just put on her finger.

God, she took his breath away.

And she was his.

_Mine._

"Yours," she agreed in a throaty whisper, leaving him to understand that he'd unconsciously uttered the word out loud.

He raised those brilliant blue eyes to hers and now she was the breathless one as he bathed her in a look that said everything he couldn't just yet. A slow, sultry, satisfied smile curved her lips and she tilted her face to his to capture his lips in a dazzling kiss.

When they finally came up for air, he managed, "Can I see the back?"

A smoky chuckle left her throat as her eyes danced provocatively.

"What makes you think there is one?"

_Oh, man_.

He attempted to swallow, but found his mouth had gone dry as a desert.

Ziva obligingly turned herself to rest on her left hip, sitting while leaning on one hand, so he had a view of the back – well, _her_ back. There wasn't much lace to see.

The straps over her shoulders narrowed to barely nothing and stretched down to attach on both sides to the lace that wrapped around her waist, leaving her long, beautiful back completely bare to his gaze.

As his eyes moved lower, he had to close them for a moment in an effort to get a grip on his libido that was straining against the tenuous hold he had on it.

The lace that had disappeared between her thighs in the front vanished even further into a thong that was all but hidden in the cleft between the lovely firm globes of her ass.

She turned her head to look over her shoulder at him, adding to the sexy pose. A wave of satisfaction rolled through her at the expression he still wore.

If anything, he was even more awestruck than before.

Well, this delicious excuse for underwear was certainly worth every penny she'd paid for it.

Jethro's head fell gently to her shoulder as though he no longer had the strength to hold it up. Those still-trembling fingers roamed over her naked back … the lace at her waist … the scrap of material that disappeared in the center of her bottom … dipped into those sexy dimples at the base of her spine … finally came to rest on the bare skin of her ass.

Now his mouth was suddenly watering.

He let out a sigh of pure pleasure that danced across her skin, raising delicious goosebumps along her arms and legs.

Gibbs finally found his voice.

"Never seen anything more gorgeous in my life," he husked. "You take my breath away."

Melting, she turned back to him so they were front to front. She lifted her left arm to lay across his shoulder as her hand cupped the back of his neck and her fingers speared into that attractive silver hair. Her lips captured his in a soft kiss that tugged his lower lip into her mouth and ended with a swipe of her tongue across it.

"Thank you," she whispered. Then her eyes roamed appreciatively over his handsome face, followed her hand down his chest as she released the rest of his buttons and pushed his shirt off to rest on the floor behind him. "I would say exactly the same thing about you."

He shook his head and started to disagree. Okay, he wasn't completely oblivious to the fact that some women found him attractive, but he wasn't even in the same class as this stunning woman before him.

She stopped his words with a kiss.

"It is true," she breathed into his mouth. "I love you … and I want you. So much."

"Same here," he murmured against her mouth before taking those luscious pink lips in a deep, heady kiss that threatened to devour her until she gave back as good as she got.

Gibbs used the weight of his torso to gently lay her on her back among the blankets and pillows.

His mouth left a fiery trail along her jaw … down to where her pulse beat raggedly at her throat … down to her breasts.

He paused there, looking up at her face as he enjoyed the feel of the lace against her skin, using his teeth until her nipple grew even more erect, begging for more.

Her face was beyond lovely as she was caught in the throes of her desire for him, her mouth parting slightly, her breath coming audibly. She whimpered in need and it was all he could do not to give in and take her right then.

But he had plans first.

Even if she was testing his control to the limits tonight.

Ziva opened her eyes enough to look down at him through her lashes, that sexy noise escaping her throat again. Her left hand was buried in his hair, holding him to her. Her right came slowly up to the strap on her shoulder. Hooking it in her fingers, she slowly tugged the lace aside to reveal her naked breast to his gaze, his mouth, his tongue, silently requesting what she needed.

He didn't disappoint her.

After tonguing her nipple until she was moaning beneath him, he filled his mouth with her soft flesh, suckling deeply. She breathed out his name on a sigh that washed over him, driving him crazy. He snuggled closer to her as her hips pressed against his and his right hand covered her left breast … squeezing … caressing … uncovering.

The tip of his tongue came out and traced down along the lace, across the gold heart and up the other side until he could give the same thorough attention to her other sensitive mound.

The moan of pleasure that left her throat suggested she was definitely in favor of that decision.

Eventually, his mouth worked its way unhurriedly, deliciously south. Her own hands were roaming every inch of him she could reach as her left leg wrapped around his hip until he reached her thighs and gently nudged them apart for him.

After nuzzling her center through the lace that covered it, his tongue traced along the crease between her pelvis and right thigh. As he licked over her femoral artery, Ziva jumped as though he'd shocked her.

He lifted his head enough to see the surprised pleasure etched on her face.

"Didn't know that was there," he observed in a low, sexy voice, reaching out the tip of his tongue to touch her again. With a quick intake of air, her hips lifted uncontrollably toward him.

"Neither did I," she admitted on a dazed, pleased breath that fell somewhere between a gasp and a chuckle.

It was impossible to miss the satisfied gleam in his eye.

Her hand caressed his cheek.

"You look awfully … smug," she informed him on a low, sexy murmur, a grin tugging at her mouth.

"Guess I am," he acknowledged with that smirk that she just wanted to nibble off his face.

He _was_ pretty pleased with himself, truth be told. Not only had he discovered another spot that drove her wild with pleasure, but also …

"If you didn't know it was there, then no one else does either – 'cept me."

And now no one else ever would. _Oo-rah._

A sexy chuckle escaped her. God, she loved him.

She leaned down toward him.

"Come here," she whispered, wanting his mouth on hers.

"But I'm not done down here," he protested lightly.

A feline smile curved her lips.

"Trust me – I will not mind if you go back down there. I may even beg for it."

He couldn't help it – he grinned.

She smiled delightedly, falling more in love with him every minute. Then her eyes darkened with desire, her tongue darting out to lick her suddenly dry lips as she stared at his mouth.

"Kiss me," she commanded in a silky smooth voice that brushed across his already-sensitive nerve endings.

Now how was a man supposed to resist that?

He rose up toward her and she bent down toward him until their mouths met … tasted … explored. Wrapping her arms around him, she lay back down, taking him with her, wanting the heavenly weight of him against her.

Ziva's hands stroked slowly up and down his long, strong back as her thigh lifted and pressed against his leg. Their bodies shifted against each other, rubbing pleasurably.

After long, endless moments of kissing, Gibbs slowly made his way back down her front, nudging the red lace that had covered her breasts even more securely to the sides to keep her bare before him, not missing an inch of her on his return journey. By the time he reached that spot at the bend of her leg once more, she was writhing in need.

And begging.

_Please._

_There._

_Everything._

_Everywhere._

Anchoring her in place with his shoulders and a leg over hers, he attached his mouth to that spot where her pulse raced for him, licking and sucking until he'd marked her as his. Her sounds of pleasure and whimpers of need couldn't be kept inside and he wouldn't have wanted her to swallow them, even if she could.

Her hips began to lift insistently against him. He cupped his palm over her center and a blissful moan escaped her throat. He pressed the heel of his hand more firmly against her, knowing what she needed. She pushed herself into his hand as he rubbed her back and forth from above her swollen clit to the point below where the lace was soaked with proof of her desire for him.

Her begging became even more insistent.

"_Please."_

Her right hand wrapped around his head, daring him to try to escape as her left grasped the blanket beneath her until she was white-knuckled.

And all the while, he licked and sucked and scraped at her pulse point, driving her wild.

Suddenly, her inner muscles tensed and she felt a climax building already, much to her surprise. She'd never had one without more direct intimate contact than this.

That feeling of losing control was stealing over her … that moment where she felt as though she was falling and could do nothing about it … that moment that was overwhelming and a little alarming, even as it was glorious.

"Jethro," she pleaded, not even sure what she was begging for. Safety. Comfort. Release.

All of the above.

"Right here, Ziver," he murmured reassuringly against her skin, raising his gaze without lifting his mouth, wanting to watch as she came apart. "Go over for me."

And with a suck of his tongue and a welcome push of his hand, she did.

Her cry of completion was music to his ears.

Raising his head, he gazed with satisfaction at the mark he'd left on her skin, not entirely comfortable with all that could signify … acknowledging to himself that his need to possess her was surpassed only by his need to be possessed in return.

By her.

Only her.

The scent of her desire tugged at him and he nuzzled his nose into her center. She jerked slightly, still sensitive. He backed off the pressure a little and his tongue darted out to taste her. He loved the earthy, slightly tangy taste of her, smell of her.

And she loved the way he loved it.

His right hand found the row of three tiny snaps between her thighs that fastened the edges of the teddy together. With a gentle tug and a deliciously maddening lack of speed, he unsnapped them one … by … one. Her low moan of pleasure as his knuckles brushed gently against her sensitive flesh shimmered in the air and broke over him.

When the tension of the last snap was released, the triangle covering her nest of tight dark curls flung up out of the way, baring her to his gaze at last.

Now it was his turn to groan.

God, she was beautiful. He really was going to have to make good on his idea to look up more words for that.

Jethro settled himself completely between her legs, nudging them further apart to make room for himself. He bent his head and brushed his nose, his mouth over her curls, keeping it light at first. Gradually, he added a little pressure, swept his tongue between her folds, snaked inside her core.

"Mmmm …" she hummed in delight, delicious warmth curling through her already relaxed, satiated muscles.

Her right hand dropped down to urge his head more fully against her as her hips raised unconsciously into him.

"I love when you do that," she sighed blissfully. "But I believe it is your turn, yes?"

He smirked against her then lifted his head to look up into her gorgeous face that was still flushed from her recent climax. She peered down at him through lashes lifted just enough to see him, a happy, fulfilled smile curving her lips.

"Trust me, this is as much about me as it is about you," he informed her before burying his face between her thighs once more. The rest of his words were slightly muffled against her. "Love the way you taste, the way you smell … making you come with my mouth."

Loved the way just hearing all that made her even wetter against his tongue.

The low noise of pleasure that escaped her throat filled him with tremendous gratification.

Then he lost himself in satisfying her, indulging himself until she flew apart once more in his arms, even more powerfully than before … holding onto her securely as she floated back to earth.

Slowly, he kissed and nuzzled his way back up to her mouth, stirred by the sexy sight of her. If anything, she was even hotter half-in and half-out of that delectable piece of underwear than she had been earlier.

She smiled against his lips, wrapped her arms around him and slipped her tongue into his mouth to deepen their kiss.

"It is incredible when your mouth tastes like you and like me," she breathed against his lips.

_Mmmm_ was all he could manage in reply.

She somehow held onto him tightly with arms and legs that had gone near-to-boneless. She smoothed her hands over him, unsnapping his jeans when she reached his waistband.

"I want you naked," she whispered against his ear as he pressed a row of kisses along her collarbone.

Oh, yeah – he could get behind that.

Or on top of it, as the case may be.

He reluctantly pushed himself off her, only the knowledge that he was about to be naked against her, inside her supplying the motivation to do so. He rose to his knees, then gracefully to his feet. He carefully lowered his zipper, his body hardening as her tongue darted out to unconsciously lick her lips as she found the strength to sit up enough to help him remove the barrier of the last of his clothing.

Working together, they quickly, but gingerly shucked off his jeans and underwear, leaving him naked before her. Her eyes went nearly black with pleasure and her hands slid slowly up the outside of his legs to his hips … smoothed in to cup, to caress his impressive erection.

Her lips parted and her breath came a little faster. She was unable to refrain from sitting up on her knees in order to nuzzle him with the side of her face. He groaned out loud as she licked along his length … swirled her tongue around his swollen, weeping tip … cupped his swollen balls … sucked him inside her hot, sweet mouth.

He fisted his hands in her hair as she pleasured him. With heroic effort, he lasted longer than he thought he might because it felt too damn good to stop too soon. However, even a man who prided himself on control had his limits and this incredible woman pushed him past the edge of his.

Gibbs tugged gently at her hair until she reluctantly released him and then he was on his knees in front of her in a heartbeat. Still cradling her head, he pulled her mouth to his, nearly devouring her in his need.

And was devoured in return.

Ziva wrapped her arms around his neck, holding him as though she'd never let go. He pressed her back against the blankets once more, resting his body half-over hers. He kissed her mouth, her neck, her breasts. Their hands wandered, inflaming their already raging desire for one another.

Finally, both of them wanting the other more than they needed air, he settled his body fully on top of hers. She opened herself wide to him, relishing the weight of him against her. Lining himself up at her wet, hot center, he seated himself inside her to the hilt in one strong thrust.

Ziva cried out as he filled her, reveling in that sense of completion he brought her even as she was driven to that razor edge of pleasure that was almost too much.

Gibbs knew he wasn't going to last long with all that had gone before and he wanted her to come with him. He whispered wickedly in her ear as he smoothed one hand between them to her swollen, sensitive clit. Before long, she was writhing in need, tossing her head from side to side as the rising tide of desire unbelievably built inside her again.

Holding onto him for dear life as he moved faster and faster inside her, she cried out his name as she reached the peak of their mutual passion and those thousand points of light burst inside her once again. Her climax trigged his and he answered her call as he came, filling her with everything he could give her.

Gloriously spent, he collapsed against her, not sure he'd be able to move for days – if ever. He stayed where he was, his head resting on her breasts, their arms wrapped tightly around each other as their heartbeats gradually slowed to a heavy thud.

"Three times," Ziva sighed blissfully. "Now _that_ is a first for me."

Gibbs tilted his head back a little to look up at her, an arrogant, satisfied gleam in his eye.

She glanced down at him as she felt his movement against her and her lips twitched at his expression.

"And you may feel as smug as you like about that – it is well deserved."

He grinned and snuggled back into her warm, silky skin.

Her heart moved by the wave of emotion that washed over her, Ziva roused herself enough to press a kiss to the top of his head and murmur against his hair, "I love you."

"Love you, too," he sighed, his words nearly slurred from the mind-blowing pleasure they'd experienced.

Ziva reached out a hand and pulled one of the blankets over them as they drifted off to sleep still connected, physically and emotionally.

Sometime after midnight, Gibbs came awake enough to realize the fire had burned down to nothing and the room was chilly. He rolled to his feet, placed the protective screen in front of the fireplace and bent to scoop Ziva into his arms. He left the one low light on in the living room so he could get them upstairs without mishap.

Recognizing him even in sleep, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders and tucked her face into his neck.

Gibbs stood her by his bed, steadying her against him with one arm as he turned down the covers with a flick of his other wrist. He picked her back up to lay her down, removing the scrap of lace from her relaxed, but just-beginning-to-awaken body.

Doing so stirred his once more.

He climbed in beside her, rolling up against her, pulling her to him. He honestly didn't intend to bring her awake, but couldn't resist kissing the warmth of her neck, sweeping his hand gently over her soft curves.

Ziva instinctively turned into him with a murmur of his name. She was now caught somewhere between sleeping and waking, but knew exactly who she had in her arms and exactly where she wanted him.

Tightening her arms around him she rolled fully onto her back, urging him on top of her, spreading her thighs to welcome him inside her.

Their loving was slow and easy this time, but no less powerful. They moved together effortlessly, endlessly, unhurriedly, until the wave of their climax crashed over them simultaneously, leaving them to float back to shore together.

And Jethro fell asleep with one of his new favorite words whispered against his neck and echoing in his heart.

_Neshama._


	5. Surprise, Surprise

_A/N: And so we come to the end of this story in my Angels universe. Thank you for joining me on this fun little romp. =) Perhaps we'll visit it again sometime ..._

_I would like to dedicate this to those dear friends who joined my Zibbs Secret Santa adventure which prompted my first Angels story. Please consider this a loooooong-overdue THANK YOU: iyimgrace, LauraEve24, mollygibbs101, NotYetLostFaith, Sarah Withers, Sehrezad & Woody2792. I am blessed to count you among my friends and fellow writers, and it is my honor and extreme pleasure to share this journey with you. xoxoxo  
_

_This also comes with a shout-out to molly2012. She'll know why. =)_

_Oh, and I thought I would clarify that in my fics, unless I specify otherwise, Somalia never happened and Eli & Jackie are alive and well._

_Happy reading!_

* * *

The next morning, Ziva and Gibbs were the last to arrive at work. Even Tony beat them in today. They weren't late; they just weren't as early as usual. For some reason, they'd had a hard time leaving their bed … and the shower … and nearly the dining room table.

As the elevator carried them to their floor, Ziva reflected that if this morning's activities were any indication of the effect that getting married was going to have on their already abundant, eminently satisfying sex life … well. All she could say to that was _Oo-rah_.

A Marine's wife could say that, too, yes?

_A Marine's wife._

A happy little noise escaped her throat and her grin threatened to split her face as her body fairly thrummed with excitement.

Jetho turned his head and questioned her with a lift of his brow as the metal doors slid quietly open.

She gave him a quick shake of her head and promised _Later _in a throaty whisper that shimmied down his spine and into his pants as she stepped into her work day.

The twitch of his dick brought on by the shimmy put a slight hitch in his stride as he watched her move out in front of him. He shook his head in disbelief. He'd already come twice this morning – much to his amazement - and he was old.

He then eyed the beautiful woman in front of him who, despite her best efforts to look professional, still wore more than a suggestion of that unmistakable afterglow of a well spent morning-after-Valentine's-Day and decided maybe he wasn't that damn old, after all.

And no doubt about it - he was the luckiest bastard on earth.

As they rounded the wall by Ziva's cubicle, they paused for a moment as the conversation they walked in on stopped abruptly and seven pairs of eyes fixed on them.

"Tobias?" Gibbs asked. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"And I might ask the same of you, Abigail," Ziva observed in a deceptively casual tone, walking on around to the back of her desk to drop her backpack and peel off her coat.

Fornell looked at his partner in crime.

"'Abigail?'" he repeated, his eyebrows lifted in question. "What'd you do to piss her off already?"

"Nothing," the red-head protested. "I haven't even talked to her for a week."

Ziva looked at her with both eyebrows raised nearly to her hairline.

"Well, except for a text – or three," Agent Borin mumbled.

Gibbs made for his own chair, dumping his winter coat on the desk beside his on the way.

"There a party goin' on I didn't know about?" he asked with just enough sarcasm to make Tony, McGee and Palmer squirm, though Ducky, Abby, Borin and Fornell just smirked at him.

"No, Boss," Dinozzo started. "We were just …"

His voice faded. How exactly did you tell your normally private team leader that the reason you weren't doing your job is that you were standing around gabbing and speculating about his love life?

"We were just talking, Gibbs," Abby stepped in perkily, "about how we each spent Valentine's Day night. Care to share?"

She snagged his gaze with an impish grin that he'd have smacked anyone else upside the head for.

He just shook his head slightly at the expectant air floating around the group, his characteristic smile tugging at one side of his mouth.

Ziva turned her head to hide her grin, taking her time with removing her outer garments … saving her left glove for last.

"Zee-vah?"

"Yes, Tony?" Nothing in her conversational tone gave anything away.

"Come on - play nice," he coaxed. "Share with the group."

"Share what, Tony?" she asked with maddening pretense.

"You know what, but I'll give you a hint because I'm just that kind of a guy. Finish this sentence: Last night, I …." He waited expectantly.

"Got an excellent night's sleep." And that was nothing but the truth. Four orgasms and being cuddled up next to the partner of her dreams had a way of knocking a girl out. "Thank you for asking. How did you sleep?"

Gibbs' lips twitched as Tony's mouth dropped slightly open.

Fornell shook his head and looked at Borin with regret. "Knew we shoulda pulled out the diapers."

The FBI agent looked over at his old friend. "You blew it, didn't you? Did you even get her a gift? Flowers?"

Both Jethro and Ziva stayed silent at first, enjoying the show and, unbeknownst to the others, drawing out the anticipation of telling them their Big News.

"He got me a knife," Ziva offered, as though that were a perfectly natural gift for Valentine's Day.

"A knife? Seriously, Gibbs?" DiNozzo asked in a stunned tone. "We talked about this. Flowers. Dinner. Romance! You said you had it covered - ! Did you even get her chocolate?"

"Hell, Gibbs, even I got chocolate," Borin observed, though she refrained from volunteering who the chocolate-giver was.

And most people were too busy focusing on Gibbs and Ziva to notice that Agents Fornell and Borin studiously avoided looking at each other in the aftermath of her statement.

Though with a glance full of unspoken communication, the happy couple tucked that little gem of information away.

"I got apple pie," Gibbs finally volunteered, ignoring Tony's well-meaning outburst to further string them along.

"Apple pie?" Tony asked, his face clearly portraying his confusion over what that had to do with the price of tea in China.

Or, in this case, the purchase of chocolate in D.C.

"But of course, Anthony," Ducky spoke up. "Jethro would choose apple pie over chocolate any day. And I would imagine our Ziva makes a fine one."

His eyes twinkled at Ziva, who tipped her head to him appreciatively. "Thank you, Ducky. He did seem to enjoy … everything. As did I."

Despite her look of complete innocence, her meaningful pause did not go unnoticed.

"'Everything?'" Borin pounced. "Do tell."

"Yeah. Out with it, you two. Apparently a little debrief is in order so next year you can shoot for a higher score on the romance factor," Tony declared.

Fornell looked at the Very Special Agent, who was standing next to him. "At this rate, he'll be lucky to get a next year," he snarked under his breath.

Tsk, tsk, Tobias.

Never underestimate the power of Super Hearing on a ninja.

Especially one who would never simply stand aside while others cast undeserved aspersions in her lover's direction.

A _whoosh _flashed right between Tony and Tobias at ear level, taking everyone but Jethro by surprise. He ducked his head to hide the grin he couldn't hold back, as the others stared in horrified fascination at the black-handled knife imbedded in the cubicle wall behind the two men.

"As you can see," she drawled. "It is a very, very nice knife."

You could have heard a pin drop as Ziva carried on as though nothing untoward had happened.

"If you must know, he did buy me flowers," she continued, looking around the group. "Roses, in fact. _Lots_ of beautiful roses." She threw a quick wink at Gibbs, who gave her an almost imperceptible nod of encouragement to continue.

"And he did indeed also buy my favorite chocolates … I bought _him_ jewelry ... And_ …_" She drew out the last word as she balanced her chin on her hand and gazed at the man at the desk next to her with a smile. "He made me dinner."

After allowing those surprising revelations to hang in the air for a moment, Ziva casually stood and strolled unhurriedly across the aisle between their desks with an eye-catching roll of her hips to pull her knife free.

"Let me see …" she drawled, arranging her countenance in a thoughtful expression as she balanced the knife delicately between her fingers, twisting it back and forth, the black leather glove that still covered her left hand enabling her to touch the sharp point lightly without pricking her finger.

She wandered over to Jethro's desk and perched on the edge of it as she looked over her shoulder at him questioningly.

"There was one more thing, yes?"

Well, two, technically. But the lacy red teddy would stay their little secret.

That heart-tripping Gibbs smile tucked in one corner of his mouth.

"There was definitely a yes involved," he agreed.

Ziva snapped the fingers of her right hand together in the universal gesture of _Aha!_

She tucked her knife away in a well-practiced move and nodded in agreement.

"_That_ is it."

She slowly, deliberately removed the leather glove from her left hand and revealed the sparkling diamond on her finger. She couldn't resist showing it off with a little wave.

"He bought me jewelry, too," she announced. Then her voice warmed, gentled as she smiled. "And that is where the 'yes' came in."

Both she and Gibbs grinned from ear to ear at the looks of shock and amazement that flew around their circle of friends.

Ziva pushed herself off Jethro's desk and walked around to stand behind his chair, placing her left hand on his shoulder.

She started to lift her hand after just a brief squeeze, but he brought his own left hand up and laid it atop hers just long enough to silently request that she leave hers right where it was. As he moved, his jacket sleeve shifted to reveal the silver ID bracelet now fastened around his wrist along with his watch.

No one had to inquire as to what jewelry he'd received for Valentine's Day.

"As you can see, Tony," Ziva said quietly into the stunned silence, with unmistakable happiness lighting her eyes. "He had the romance aspect completely covered. In fact, it is difficult to see how he could have been any _more_ romantic. But he will definitely have a next year …" She glanced meaningfully at Tobias given his earlier comment, before smiling at her fiancé. "And all the years after that."

Silence reigned, though it wasn't uncomfortable. It was just a byproduct of seven brains working to wrap themselves around this unexpected development.

"He is one lucky bastard," Borin observed in awe, the first to come out of the shocked stupor that gripped the entire group.

"Took the words right outta my mouth," Tobias advised her faintly.

With that, the rest of their friends shook off their surprise and hauled the couple out from behind Gibbs' desk to smother them with hugs and words.

_Congratulations!_

_Wow. You crazy kids know how to do Valentine's Day after all - !_

_This is like speed dating on steroids._

_You managed to pick out that ring all by yourself, Jethro? I'm impressed._

_I know you have a picture of those roses on your phone, Ziva David – let's see 'em._

Of course she did. She'd wanted them with her all day and it seemed far more practical to carry a picture around instead of the vase.

After a couple minutes of all that, Jethro ordered everyone back to work.

Everyone went because no one argued with Gibbs.

And just like that, everything was back to normal.

Well, if normal was an alternate universe in which Gibbs looked as though he was going to smile at any given moment and Ziva actually did.

As Fornell and Borin walked to the elevator, their conversation floated back to the others.

"They managed to get themselves engaged without us," Fornell observed, clearly in awe. "Huh."

"You know, it was probably a carryover effect from our angel work on New Year's Eve," Abigail offered thoughtfully. "It wasn't that long ago and we were pretty frickin' awesome."

"Ahh. True. Very true," Fornell agreed, clearly pleased that they'd managed to turn this around to be about them after all. Smart woman, his partner. "And we avoided the diapers. Damn, we're good."

Borin nodded. Nothing short of brilliant they were, clearly.

"Say, any thoughts yet on who we should target next with our mad matchmaking skills?" Tobias asked her as the elevator doors opened.

"Not really. You?" she responded as they stepped inside the car.

Before he could answer, Ziva's hand suddenly shot out to hold the doors open.

"We suggest the two of you look in a mirror," she proposed, peeking into the elevator with a devilish twinkle in her eye. "And get a room at a certain hotel downtown. In fact …"

She glanced up at Gibbs who was standing next to her.

He tossed a balled-up piece of paper to Tobias, which was deftly caught. When the FBI agent spread it open, there was simply a room number on it.

It wasn't the room they'd stayed in – because that would just be too weird – but the message was clear all the same.

Jethro's explanation was short and sweet before he and Ziva headed for the stairs.

"We got ya covered – but I'm not strapping on a damn diaper."

_~ The End ~_


End file.
